Automatically-adjustable double-end shackle-bolt connection



F. F. JAMES Feb. .18, 1930.

AUTOMATICALLY ADJUSTABLE DOUBLE END SHACKLE BOLT CONNECTION Filed Oct. so, 1928 E a E 1 "TW N fl 9 W 5 7 5 Patented Feb. 18, 1930 UNITED srA'ras FRANCIS 1. JAMES,

PATENT OFFICE or PHILADELPHIA, PENNSYLVANIA AUTOMATICALLY-ADJUSTABLE DOUBLE-END SHACKLE-IBOL'I CONNECTION Application filed October 30, 1928. Serial No. 315,960.

will be strong and durableand adapted'to be readily applied to the springs and shackle hangers of automobiles and other motor vehi cles, and which will be automatically adjustable to take up the wear. v V A' further object of the invention is to rovide an automatically adjustable shackle olt 5 connection equipped withv opposite cone bearings and provided with grooves arranged at the inner and outer ends of thec'one bearings and adapted to prevent the formation of shoulders on the parts of the cone bearing or in the cone bushing whichwould interfere with the automatic adjustment of the shackle bolt connection until the limit-or maximum adjustment has been reached; p

a -With these and other objects infv ew', the

invention consists in the construction and novel'combination and arrangement/of parts hereinafter lfull described, illustrated in the accompanying rawings and set forth in the claimsber'eto appended, it being understood that various changes in the form, proportion I and minor details of constructionywithinthe scope of the claims, may be resorted. without departing from thesplrit of the lnvention or' sacnficing any of the advantages thereof. I .j I

In the drawings: v v Figure Us a side elevation of an automatically adjustable shackle'bolt connection-com str'ucted in-accordance with th s invention and illustrating the manner of apply1ng the bolt tothe rear-ends of the spr ngs. I

Fig. 2:is"a transverse sectional view of the fl d 1 '4 t Fi '3 is a si e e eva 1on', pa -y;1n sec 1on, illusti'ating certain parts of the shackle bolt I connection in unassembledrel'atmn.

In the accompanying drawin s, inwhi ch isillustrated the preferred em odiment of the invention, the automatically ad ustable 0 doubleend shackle boltconnection comprises enlarged ends of the cones.

which in ,width 14 which extend through the in its construction side plates 1 and 2 provided at their ends with inwardly extending cones 3 and 4 which cooperate with'cone bearing sleeves 5 having their openings inwardly tapered at opposite sides of the center at 6 and provided Wth a central cylindrical groove 7 spacing the tapered bearing portion6 and providing a central space into which the reduced ends of the cones 3 and 4 are adapted to extend, preventing the formation of shoulders in the bushing at this point, and providing ample space to receive the said cones until the maximum adjustment of the shackle bolt connection has been reached.

The cones 3 and 4 are provided at their enlarged ends with-annular grooves 8 which form a reduced connecting portion 9 between the cones and the side plates, and thereby prevent the formation of shoulders at the It will thus be seen that the inner or central groove 7 of the cone bearing will prevent the formation of shouldersin the bushing by wear of the small endsof the cones, and the annular grooves 8 at the outer ends of the cones. will prevent the formation of shoulders. By this construction the shackle bolt connection will be automatically adjustableuntil the limit of the adjustment has been reached.

The side plates 1 and 2 are arranged in a vertical position and the-bearing sleeves 5, have cylindrical exteriors, are ar-' ranged respectively in the eye 10 of the frame 11 and in the eye 12 of the spring 13. Both the sleeves and the eyes'lO and 12 are of'a less than the space between the side plates, as clearly illustrated in Fig. 2 of the drawings, and the spacing of the side plates from'the eyes 10 and 12 and the bearing sleeves 5 grooves 8 in permitting the adjustment.-

- The side plate 2is provided at the upper and lower portions with lubricant passages 95 I side plates and through the cones 4 and communicate with the central annular grooves 7 of the bearin sleevesfor su plying the same with lubricant. The In ricant passages are enlarged :00

provide for an inward adjustment of the cones'and the central annular grooves I at the. outer ends and interiorl threaded to provide provided with transversely aligned openings 19 extending through the central enlargements to the inner faces of the and receiving a central transverse bolt 20.

rovided at one end with a head and having its other end portion 21 threaded for the re ception of a nut 22; a cotter pin 23,01 other a coiled spring suitable locking device, being preferably employed to lock the nut on the bolt. The bolt is provided adjacent to the head 20 with an enlarged portion 24 on which is mounted 25 and which forms I a shoulder 26 tohear against'the enlargement spread of spreading of the adjacent side plate 1 to limit the of the shackle beyond the original adjustment; The shoulder forms a positive limit to the expansion of the cones. coiled s ring tween t e head of the bolt and the enlargement of the side plate 1, is adapted toyield- I maintains a ti ht T e coiled springis preferably, covered by acap 27 consisting of a sleeve open at'the inner end 's outer endwith an inwardly extending anfor shackle bolts, including spacedside plates I openings tapered inwardly from eachend of, to form bearing surfaces, said wear and consequent ably maintain the cones in contact with the bearing surfaces of the sleeves, andit automatically takes'up'the wear of the parts and fit between the cones and the sleeves.

and provided at .the

nular flange surrounding and fitting the enlarged portion of the bolt and bearing against the inner face of the head of the bolt and forming a head or button 'for the outer end of .thecs'pring. W q

The central bolt maintains a firm engage ment between the inwardly projecting cones of the side plates and thetapering faces of p the sleeves, and the spring automaticallytightens the parts and preventswa ny loqses ness, noise, or rattling ordinarily incident to connections.

What is claimed is:

An automatically adjustahle'connection provided at the end portions with inwardly extending cones having annular grooves surrounding the outer ends and forming 're-,

duced connecting portions extending from the cones to the side'plates, sleeves having cylindrical exteriors and ,provided with each sleeve 7 [I v sleeves being provided with interiorand anside plates the side plates and to prevent the 25, which is interposed belooseness of shackle bolt nular grooves interposed between the tapered bearing surfaces which fit the cones of the side plates, the grooves of the cones being located at the ends of the sleeves and the grooves of the sleeves beinglocated at the terminals of the cones to prevent theformation of shoulders, a transverse bolt connecting the side plates, and a coiled spring dis-v posed on the transverse bolt and maintaining the cones in engagement with the bearing surfaces of the sleeves. v

2. An automatically adjustable connection for shackle bolts including side plates pro- 1 v vided with inwardly extending cones having annular grooves surrounding the outer ends of the cones and formingreduced connecting I portions between the cones and the side plates, I v v one of the said plates being provided with oil passages extending through the said cones to the inner-ends of bearin sleeves, said sleeves being exterior-1y cylin rical and provided with openings tapered inwardly at opi central cylindrical grooves spacing the tapered surfaces of the openings of the sleeves when the :conesb ecome worn and also conposite sides of. the center and provided with i and adaptedto' receive the ends of the cones e nec ting withsaid lubricant passages, the grooves oi the cones being located at the ends of; they sleeves and the grooves of the sleeves being located at the terminals of the cones toprevent the formationjof shoulders, a transverse bolt connecting the side plates, and a coiled spring disposed on the'tra'nsverse bolt and automatically taking up the'wear ofthe cones and the sleeves.

3. An automatically adjustable connection for shackle bolts, including spaced side plates provided at the end portions with inwardly extending cones having-annular grooves'surrounding the outer ends and forming reduced connecting portions extending from the cones to the side plates, sleeves having cylindrical exteriors and provided with openings tapered inwardly from each end of each sleeve to form bearing surfaces, said sleeves being provided with interior and annular grooves. 1n-

grooves of the conesheing located at the ends at the sleeves and the grooves of the sleeves being located atthe terminals of the cones to prevent the formation of shou1ders,a transter'posed between the ta ered bearing surfaces which fit the cones o the side plates, the

verse bolt, having a head at one end and threaded at the other end and enlarged adj acent the head to form a shoulder fitting against one of v the side plates to prevent spreading of the same beyond the original ad justment, a nut engaged on the threaded end .of the bolt and engaged with the other side ;plate, a coiled spring disposed on the enlarged portion of the bolt and interposed between the head of the bolt and the side plate.

4. An automatically adjustable connection for shackle bolts, including spaced side plates provided at the end portions with inwardly extending cones having annular grooves surrounding the outer ends and forming reduced connecting portions extending from the cones to the side plates, sleeves having cylindrical exteriors and being provided with openings tapered inwardly from each end. of each sleeve to form bearing surfaces, said sleeves being provided with interior and annular r grooves interposed between the tapered bearmg surfaces which fit the cones of the. side plates, the grooves of the cones being located at the ends of the sleeves and the grooves of the sleeves being located at the terminals of the cones. to prevent the formation of shoulders, aftransverse bolt having a head at one end-and threaded at the other end and enlarged adjacent the head to form a shoulder fitting against one of the side plates to pre- 2 vent spreading of the same beyond the original adjustment, a nut engaged on the thread-' ed end of the bolt and engaged with the other side plate, a coiled spring disposed on the enlarged portion of the bolt and interposed be 5 tween the head of the bolt and the side plate,

and a cap covering the coiled spring and provided at its outer end with a flange fitting the enlarged portion of the bolt. 5. An automatically adjustable connection for shackle bolts including side plates provided at their ends with inwardly extending cones having annular grooves surrounding the outer ends of the cones, one of the side plates being provided with lubricant passages extending to the inner ends of the cones, bearing sleeves designed to be arranged in an eye of a frame and an eye of a spring, and provided with an'opening tapered from the ends of the sleeve'and having a cylindrical groove 4 at the inner ends of the tapered portions, said tapered portions fitting the cones of the side plates and the lubricant passages communicating with the central grooves of the sleeves,

' the grooves of the cones being located at the ends of the sleeves and the grooves of the 4 sleeves being located at the terminals of the cones to prevent the formation of shoulders,

a central tranverse bolt piercing .the side plates and provided at one end with a nut and at the other end with a head and enlarged adacent the head to form a shoulder which fits against the enlargement of the adj aoent side plate to cooperate with the nut to prevent sep aration of the side plates beyond the original adjustment, and a coiled spring arranged on the enlargement of the boltand interposed between the head of the said bolt and the adjacent side plate to take up the wear of the cones and the sleeves. I

0 In testimony whereof, I have hereunto affixed-my signature this 19th day of September, 1928.

, FRANCIS, r. JAMES. 

